Poll: Corbett's grim numbers get no bump from NCAA lawsuit

Photo by Mary Wilson / witf

Gov. Corbett’s mid-term approval rating is the lowest it’s been since last June.

A Quinnipiac University poll finds 42 percent of polled registered voters disapprove of the way the governor is handling his job, while 36 percent approve of his efforts.

“There is no strong base of support for Gov. Corbett among any income or age group or in any region of the state,” reads the poll analysis.

“He’s pretty much across the board underwater,” said assistant poll director, Tim Malloy.

The poll notes the disparity between men and women respondents: 45 percent of polled women voters disapprove of the governor’s job, while the governor has a 41 percent approval rating among polled men.

51 percent of respondents overall say Corbett shouldn’t get a second term, compared with 31 percent who say he should.

“By nearly a two-to-one margin, Pennsylvanians do not want him to be reelected,” said Malloy. “He’s kind of done a roller coaster for the last six months or so, but these are discouraging numbers.”

The survey did not ask about Corbett’s chances against other candidates in the 2014 gubernatorial election. Only one Democrat has made a formal bid for the seat – former state Department of Environmental Protection secretary John Hanger. Several others from both parties say they’re considering entering the race.

Malloy also noted Corbett received no bump in the polls due to his lawsuit against the NCAA, despite the fact that 43 percent of respondents approve of it. The governor is suing the governing body of collegiate athletics to overturn sanctions against Penn State’s football program for the university’s role in the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

The survey of 1,221 registered voters was conducted last week, with a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percentage points.